MARSHFIELD – The fathers who gathered at a family picnic Sunday at Wildwood Park had more than just fatherhood in common — each of them has had a child in the Ministry Saint Joseph’s Children’s Hospital neonatal intensive care unit.

About 500 fathers, children and other family members gathered at the park to celebrate Father’s Day and the 45th anniversary of the NICU. In addition to a picnic lunch, the event featured children’s games, a photo booth and raffle prizes for families in attendance who had the smallest baby and the longest NICU stay.

“What better way to spend Father’s Day than with the people who helped you through a difficult time?” said Clint Klapatauskas, whose 11-month-old twin sons Cade and Tate spent two months in the NICU.

For Klapatauskas and many of the other families who attended the picnic, the event also was a chance to catch up with the NICU staff members with whom they spent weeks or months of their children’s early days.

“The NICU is a wonderful place. They really make you feel comfortable there,” said Ed Snyder of Clayton, who proudly sported a t-shirt featuring the hand prints and foot prints of his two sons, Jacob, 7, and Gavin, 3. Gavin spent about six weeks in the NICU.

Seeing former patients was just as meaningful to nurses such as Joan Barton. Barton said she has stayed in contact with many NICU families and even attended the high school graduations of several former patients.

“We take care of the whole family,” Barton said. “We get to see them through the whole process from learning how to touch their baby to helping them feel comfortable taking them home.”

She said families who return to the NICU for follow-up appointments often ask about the medical staff members who cared for their children, and the picnic gave families of older NICU alumni the chance to reunite with health care providers.

Many former patients who attended the event are now in their late teens, said NICU manager Ruthie Watt. Several came from as far as Appleton and Rhinelander.

Watt said she enjoyed meeting NICU alumni she had seen in pictures.

“It’s fun to see the faces of patients you hear about from the nurses,” she said.

For other picnic guests, the event was about more than Father’s Day — it was a celebration of life.

Nick LaFonte’s 9-month-old daughter, Selah, was born at 33 weeks and spent three weeks in the NICU. LaFonte of Wausau said he felt a special bond with his daughter because he also was born prematurely.

“The joy of being a father is amazing, and celebrating the NICU is really celebrating life,” he said.

Marisa Cuellar can be reached at 715-384-3131. Find her on Twitter as @cuellm34.